The city's name is most commonly attributed to Muskogee origin, "Haiyakpo" (prairie) and "hili" (pretty) combining in "Hialeah" to mean "pretty prairie". Alternatively, the word is of Seminole origin meaning "Upland Prairie". The city is located upon a large prairie between Biscayne Bay and the Everglades.

Hialeah has the second highest percentage of Cuban and Cuban American residents of any city in the US. Hialeah is also the densest American city in terms of population not to feature a skyscraper.